Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Delilah felt a thrill ripple through her as she waited beside her trailer, scanning the parking lot for Hazel and Samantha.
It was a beautiful, sunny morning, with a fresh, sweet wind and a clear blue sky.
Perfect weather for outdoor filming, and perfect weather for a pre-teen’s first visit to a Hollywood film set.
I can’t believe how I excited I am for them to be here, she thought with a laugh. I’ve never been this excited for someone to come to a film shoot before, not even when I was first starting out and celebrities still felt like celebrities instead of acquaintances.
She smiled, rising up on her tiptoes a little as she peered across the parking lot again.
She loved spending time with all of the Owens women, but she had a soft spot for Samantha, whose vivacity made her think a little of herself at that age.
She wanted Samantha to feel special and validated, assurances she wished she’d received when she was young.
She felt her phone buzz in her pocket, and she pulled it out and saw that she had a text from Hazel, saying that they were running a few minutes late because Samantha had lost one of her sneakers.
She sent back a quick reply, assuring Hazel it was no problem. She slipped her phone back into her pocket and decided to head back inside her trailer for a while. She’d already had a cup of coffee, but she was starting to get a hankering for another one.
She went inside her trailer, which smelled of vanilla and sandalwood.
She changed out of her loafers and put on a pair of soft slippers before pouring herself a second cup of coffee.
She glanced at the clock, noting that she still had half an hour before her makeup artist was due to arrive.
She’d asked her to come a little early so that she had a chance to do Samantha’s makeup as well.
Delilah knew that getting her makeup done by a Hollywood makeup artist would have meant the world to her at that age, and she wanted Samantha to feel special.
She was leaning against the counter, reviewing her lines for the day while she sipped her coffee, when there was a knock on her trailer door.
“Come in!” she called, looking up with a grin.
She expected Samantha and Hazel to walk through the door, but instead, it was Tom. He was wearing a light blue button-down shirt and looking incredibly handsome.
“Hi.” She gasped with delight and hurried forward to embrace him. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I know.” He smiled down at her, keeping his arms around her. “Vivian told me about what you’re doing for Samantha. I think it’s wonderful, and I wanted to be here to see her face. I know how big a fan of yours she is. This has got to be such a dream come true for her.”
Delilah beamed at him. “I’m glad you think it’ll make her happy. I can’t wait until she gets here.”
He laughed. “You look like a child on Christmas Eve,” he teased. “You seem absolutely giddy.”
“I feel giddy.” She laughed. “I haven't been this excited about someone coming to a film set as my guest in a long time.
Maybe not ever. There's something about giving this experience to someone who really cares about it that makes it all the more special, you know?
I'm not just bringing along a casual acquaintance who I owe a favor to or paying special favors to someone that I want to impress.
I'm just doing this because I want Samantha to be happy.
It's been a long time since I just got to bless someone who didn't have a hidden agenda.”
“I can understand that,” Tom said, smiling at her. “It's always nice to know that the affection in your relationships is sincere.”
“Yes!” She nodded emphatically. “And I think that's one of my favorite things about Rosewood Beach,” she confessed. “Everyone here is so sincere. I don't have to wonder what anyone's really thinking or trying to do. People wear their hearts on their sleeves, and their hearts are kind.”
Tom took her into his arms again, squeezing her gently. “I’m so excited to have you become a part of our Rosewood Beach family,” he told her, his voice soft.
“I am too,” she said, sinking back into his arms with a contented sigh.
“I'm looking forward to all of the wonderful times I'm going to have here with you and the other people in town that I've come to care so much about. No matter where my movie jobs take me, I know that Rosewood Beach is my new home.”
She and Tom shared another smile, and at that moment there was another knock on the door of her trailer.
“They're here!” Delilah exclaimed with delight. She scampered over to the door and tugged it open.
Hazel and Samantha stood on the doorstep, both wearing darling spring dresses and looking beside themselves with excitement.
“Hi!” Samantha threw her arms around Delilah immediately. “Thank you so much for doing this. I’m going to remember it forever.”
Hazel and Delilah shared a warm smile over the preteen’s head, knowing that what she’d just said was definitely true.
“It’s so sweet of you,” Hazel said, hugging Delilah in turn. “We both appreciate your offer so much.”
“Don’t mention it,” Delilah said warmly. “I’m thrilled to have you both here.”
“When do you start filming?” Samantha asked, looking around the trailer in wonder.
Although it was sparsely decorated, Delilah had added a few things that made her feel more at home, such as a couple of spider plants, a vanilla candle, a pink knit throw for the couch, and a coat rack with a head shaped like a giraffe.
“In an hour,” Delilah said. “First, I have to get ready. I’ll need to get into my costume soon, and before that, I need to get my makeup done.”
“Wow.” Samantha touched one of the spider plants as if it was something exotic, and not a plant that Delilah had remembered seeing in Samantha’s grandmother’s kitchen. “Why don’t you wear your own clothes if it’s a movie set in the modern day?”
Delilah smiled. “Costumes are about helping tell the story of a movie. Sometimes that means making sure they look historically accurate, and it’s true that those types of costumes usually take a lot more effort and planning.
But costume designers always use their designs to show who a character is, and sometimes costumes hint at how a character might be feeling. ”
“What do you mean?”
“Well.” Delilah sat down on the couch and patted the cushions, signaling for Samantha to sit down beside her. The preteen flopped down a moment later. “If a character wore a hot pink t-shirt and a yellow skirt with flowers on it, what do you think that would say about her?”
“That she’s happy—and confident,” Samantha said.
“Probably.” Delilah nodded. “And if a character wears lots of browns or grays, it might signal that they’re peaceful and they like natural or orderly things, or it might be a way of showing that they don’t like attention.
Costume designers can’t tell the story all by themselves, but they do a great job of making it better. ”
“Huh.” Samantha grinned. “Can I see your costume?”
“Sure.” Delilah stood up, feeling excited to show her. It had been a long time since anyone had treated the day-to-day routine of being on set as something special, and Samantha’s enthusiasm reminded her of how magical she had found it all once upon a time.
She went over to the closet and pulled out the outfit that had a note with that day’s date on it attached to the hanger. It was a tasteful navy-blue dress, paired with a matching scarf and smart black heels.
“What do you think this says about my character in the movie?” Delilah asked Samantha, who was cooing over the beautiful dress appreciatively.
“That she’s rich?” Samantha guessed.
Delilah laughed. “Yes, she’s pretty rich. And she’s a businesswoman. What else?”
“She likes things to be orderly?” Hazel guessed. “That matching scarf is giving organized vibes.”
“Yes.” Delilah nodded. “Look at you two, so smart.”
Hazel and Samantha laughed and gave each other a high-five. Delilah glanced in Tom’s direction and saw that he was watching her with shining eyes. It was clear from his expression that he felt proud of her, and her heart stirred with joy.
At that moment, there was a knock on the studio door. Delilah hurried to open it, feeling confident about who was on the other side. Sure enough, her makeup artist was standing there, smiling eagerly.
“Where's this bright young talent whose makeup I'm doing today?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.
Her red hair had been tinted an almost purple shade of burgundy and her lipstick was so dark it was almost black.
Despite her edgy appearance, the smile on her face was warm and inviting and Samantha scampered over to shake her hand.
“I don't know that I'm a bright young talent,” Samantha said, laughing, “but I believe you're referring to me.”
The adults chuckled over how precocious Samantha was, and the preteen smiled.
Delilah felt eager and perfectly content about the situation—until in a flash, she had a realization.
Her makeup artist, Bernadette, was the same makeup artist that Tom had overheard talking with her co-star about their relationship.
Bernadette was usually a kind person, but Delilah had known her to indulge too much in gossip and get a little catty behind people's backs.
She glanced nervously at Tom, wondering if he recognized Bernadette. She saw that he was looking at Bernadette with a tense expression, as if he wondered if she would realize who he was.
Bernadette turned to say something to Delilah and saw Tom standing beside her. Her eyebrows lifted, and it was clear from the slightly condescending expression on her face that she was still passing judgement on their relationship. Delilah and Tom exchanged a glance.
I know exactly how to handle this, Delilah thought. And that's to think absolutely nothing of it.
She stepped closer to him and slipped her fingers through his. “Thank you so much for being here, sweetheart,” she told him, gazing up at him with all the adoration that she felt. “Everything feels a little sweeter with you here.”
Tom's eyes shone as he bent down and kissed her forehead. “Right back at you.”
Delilah saw that Hazel and Samantha were watching them with expressions that looked as though they were a few seconds away from full-on squealing.
Bernadette’s condescending expression had morphed into one of surprise and even approval.
Delilah thought to herself that the makeup artist almost looked a little impressed.
Feeling much better about everything, Delilah stepped forward and pulled out one of the chairs in front of the makeup counter. “Come on over here and sit down, Samantha,” she told her. “How do you want your makeup done? Something more subtle or more glamorous?”
“Mom votes for something subtle,” Hazel said with a laugh. “She's not allowed to wear makeup for a couple more years and I don't want her to get too excited.” She and Samantha exchanged scrunched-up nose expressions, making it clear that they had discussed the topic more than once.
“Subtle it is,” said Bernadette, stepping forward with a flourish. “But could I recommend a bright shade of lipstick? Just for fun.”
“Mom, please,” Samantha begged, and Hazel smiled and sighed in resignation.
“Okay,” she said. “A fun lipstick shade it is.”
The rest of the morning passed in a flurry of excitement.
Samantha was beside herself with glee over how fun it was to get her makeup done, and Hazel teared up a little when she saw how grown-up her little girl looked with makeup on.
Once Delilah was in her costume with her own makeup done, she took them on a tour of the film set.
She introduced Hazel, Samantha, and especially Tom to everyone.
While some people seemed surprised that she was bringing them on a tour, everyone was kind and welcoming.
She got the three of them settled in comfortable folding chairs in front of where they were about to film and then took her place in front of the cameras.
I can't believe how excited I am to perform right now, she thought with a chuckle. This feels so much more wonderful with people that I love sitting here watching me.
Before the camera started rolling, she glanced in the direction of Hazel, Samantha, and Tom. She gave them a radiant smile as they grinned at her and waved. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that she had found her forever home in Rosewood Beach.